Rotary engine.



G. P. HERRIGK.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 23, 1910.

1,012,850. Patented Dec.26, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEBT 1.

3 mm wto'z COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH COHWASIIINGTDN. n c.

G. P. HERRIGK.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 23, 1910.

1,012,850. Patented Dec.26, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

8 woe M501 NXTE GERARDUS POST HERRICK, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ROTARY ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 26, 1911.

Application filed May 23, 1910. Serial No. 562,822.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GERARDUS Posr HER- RICK, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of New York city, borough of Manhattan, in thecounty of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Rotary Engines, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to new and useful "improvements in rotary enginesof that character or type including a casing within which rotates arotor having a radially projecting piston blade and a rotatable abutmenthaving a recess for the passage of the piston blade, and in which steamis admitted between the abutment and blade, and expanded to move theblade to turn the rotor.

The invention is applicable to any engine coming within the terms of theabove definition but it is particularly adapted to that refinement ofthe type defined in which the rotating abutment acts as the valve orcutoff for the steam inlet, the steam passing 5 through the recess inthe abutment into the cylinder or casing to act upon the piston blade.

The object of the present invention is to provide improved means forsaving for power purposes any steam which may become pocketed in theabutment recess, whereby the economy of steam consumption is enhanced,practically all steam entering the cylinder being used for powerpurposes.

The invention consists in the improvements to be fully describedhereinafter and the novelty of which will be particularly pointed outand distinctly claimed.

I have fully and clearly illustrated my in vention in the accompanyingdrawings to be taken as a part of this specification and wherein- Figure1 is a View in side elevation of a rotary engine partly in sectionembodying my improvements; Fig. 2 is a detailed view of the interior ofpart of the casing showing the return passages for the steam; Fig. 3 isa detailed perspective view of the abutment.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference, 1 designates thecasing generally, the same consisting of a center body 2,

formed with upper and lower cylindrical lobes or chambers 3, a arrangedwith their transverse centers preferably on the same vertical line, saidlobes or chambers intersecting and opening into each other at theirpoint of union. The lower chamber consists of the casing in which thepower rotor is located, and its open ends are closed by end plates S,securely bolted to the center body and each of which has a centralopening 6, to receive an axial plug 7, carrying a cap plate 8, adaptedto close said openings 6, the cap plates being bolted to the end platesrespectively. The plugs 7 are arranged in central longitudinal alinementwith each other and with their axes in coincidence with the axis of thelower chamber, said plugs being of less diameter than the openings 6, sothat when in place in said openings there will be an annular spacebetween the outer surface of each of the plugs and the wall of the saidopening.

Extending through each of the cap plates 6 and the plug supportedthereby is a bearng opening 9, the opening in one plug alming with thatin the other, and extending through these openings and transversely ofthe chamber 1 is a rotor shaft 10, upon which is rigidly mounted acylindrical rotor 11, projecting radially from the shaft, between theadjacent inner ends of the plugs and having cylindrical side flanges orextensions which project into the annular spaces between the plugs andthe casing wall. The hub 12 of the rotor is preferably keyed or splinedto the shaft to rotate therewith and is held against movementlongitudinally of the shaft in one direction by a collar or flange l3fixed to the shaft and against which said hub abuts and is held by aclamping ring 14: threaded onto the shaft and preventing movement of thehub in the opposite direction.

Bolted to the rotor is a piston blade 15 which blade projects radiallyfrom the rotor and is arranged to receive the expansive force of motivefluid, as will be presently described to rotate said rotor.

The ends of the shaft projecting through the plugs are suitably packedas at 16, and anti-friction bearings 17 may be employed for reducingfriction between the shaft and the casing. The upper casing lobe 3 isclosed by end plates 18, each having a cen-' tral opening 19, theopenings registering with each other, and each receiving a plug 20, inthe form of an annular flange carried by a cap plate'21, which closessaid opening 19. These plugs are also formed of less diameter than theopenings through which they project so that annular spaces exist betweenthe said plugs and the walls of said openlngs. Extending through the capplates and plugs is a shaft 22 upon which is mounted a cylindricalabutment closely fitting the chamber 3, and arranged to project partlywithin the'rotor chamber into rolling contact with the cylindricalsurface of the rotor, and in order to provide for the passage of thepiston blade is formed with a recess 24 adapted to receive the saidblade as the parts turn relative to each other. The abutment may besecured on its shaft in substantially the same manner in which the mainshaft and the rotor are secured together; that is, by a key 18, and byfixed and movable collars 18, 18, on the shaft. The abutment shaft mayalso be provided with suitable packings between it and the casing, asshown at 22 and suitable antifriction bearings 22 may also be used inconnection with this shaft.

The inlet for the motive fluid is at the base of the abutment chamber,as shown at 25, and is so located that the flow of fluid therethroughinto the casing is controlled by the abutment, the cylindrical face ofthe latter serving to close the inlet for a part of the revolution ofthe abutment, and the recess in the abutment uncovering the inlet topermit inlet of the fluid. The rotation of the abutment and rotor are sotimed that the steam inlet will be uncovered by said recess just afterthe radial piston blade has emerged from the recess, and the continuedrevolution of the abutment brings the cylindrical face thereof intoposition to cut off the supply and permit the charge admitted to exertits force expansively to drive the piston blade.

It is clear that after the steam has been admitted and the abutment ismoving toward the point of cut-off that steam will be fed into therecess, and that when the abutment rotates further to carry the recesspast the inlet that a quantity of steam will be pocketed in the recessbetween the abutment and the casing, causing a load on the rotor shaftand reducing the economy of the engine, but I provide means for quicklyrelieving the pressure in the recess and insuring the flow of thepocketed steam into the rotor chamber to exert its expansive force onthe rotor. This means is constructed as follows: In each of the endplates 18 of the abutment chamber I form a groove 26, extending in acircular path taken with the abutment axis as a center, said groovesbeginning at a point slightly past the inlet in the direction ofrotation of the abutment, and terminating at a point substantiallydiametrically opposite to the steam inlet. At a point adjacent the inletthese grooves each open into a duct or conduit 27 running through thewall of the casing and opening into the rotor chamber as at 28. In therear part of the abutment recess is an opening 29 -which communicateswith laterally extendin ducts 30 passing throughthe body of the a utmentand out at the sides thereof, the out-lets being located to'travel inregister with the grooves 26 throughout the length of the latter. Itwill be seen that by this arrangement any steam which is pocketed withinthe recess of the abutment will flow through the opening 29 into thelateral openings 30 into the grooves 26, and by way of the grooves 26into the conduits 27, and thence to the steam side of the piston bladeto assist in turning the rotor. The exhaust the rotor casing adjacentthe point of contact between the abutment and the rotor. The abutment isturned in any suitable manner to be properly timed with the piston as,for instance, by gearing 81 connecting the rotor shaft with the shaft ofthe abutment.

I prefer to balance the radial load on the rotor by means of the samebalancing, provisions set forth in my U. S. Letters Patent No. 928,126,dated July 13, 1909. Briefly stated, this balancing is accomplished byconducting the steam from the load side oi through rotor extensions andopen into the space between said extensions and the plugs 7 By thisarrangement as the rotor turns after the cut-off, a part of the steamwhich its way through these ducts into the spaces between the plugs andthe rotor to exert a counterbalancing force to balance the radial load,the balancing taking place on the which the radial load is exerted. Itis not thought necessary to describe this construction further as thesame forms no part of my present invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is 1. In a rotary engine, a casing, a rotorhaving a piston blade, a rotary abutment having a recess for passage ofsaid blade, the abutment having continuous sides inclosing the recess, agroove in the side face of the casing containing the abutment andcommunicating with the cylinder, and a passage in the abutmentcommunicating with the recess and adapted to travel in register withsaid groove.

' 2. In a rotary engine, a casing having an inlet, a rotor having apiston blade, a rotary abutment having a recess cotiperating with theinlet to admit steam to the cylinder, said is shown at 30 the same beinglocated inrotor to the same side of the shaft upon the piston through.ducts 31 which pass is exerting a radial load on the rotor findsabutment having continuous sides inclosing the recess, a groove in thewall of the cylinder and communicating with the rotor chamber, and aduct in the abutment communicating with the recess and adapted to travelin register with said groove.

3. In a rotary engine, a casing having an inlet, a rotor having a pistonblade, a rotary abutment having a recess cooperating with the inlet toadmit steam to the cylinder, said abutment having continuous sidesinclosing the recess, a groove in the wall of the cylinder andcommunicating with the rotor chamber, and a duct in the abutmentcommunicating with the recess and adapted to travel in register withsaid groove after the abutment has cut ofi' admission to the cylinder.

4:. In a rotary engine, a casing, a rotor having a piston blade, arotary abutment having a recess for passage of said blade, the abutmenthaving continuous sides inclosing the recess, a groove in the side faceof the casing concentric with the axis of rotation of the abutment, saidgroove communicating with the rotor chamber, and a passage in theabutment communicating with the recess and adapted to travel in the saidgroove.

5. In a rotary engine, a casing, a rotor having a piston blade, a rotaryabutment having a recess for passage of said blade, the abutment havingcontinuous sides inclosing the recess, a groove in the side face of thecasing and communicating with the rotor chamber, a passage in theabutment communicating with the recess and adapted to travel in registerwith the said groove, and a closed duct connecting said groove with thesteam side of the rotor blade.

6. In a rotary engine, a casing, a rotor having a piston blade, a rotaryabutment having a recess for passage of said blade, the abutment havingcontinuous sides inclosing the recess, grooves in the opposite sides ofthe casing and communicating with the rotor chamber, and passages in theabutment communicating with the recess and adapted to travelrespectively in register with said grooves.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

GERARDUS POST HERRICK.

WVitnesses GEO. C. CHENEY, C. G. HEYLMUN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

